I've been having a quick look back at my previous blogs, and realised I could be accused of being fairly negative with a lot of what I've written...it's not intentional, just my natural cynicism shining through.
However, I'm pleased to say that our lecture on Digital Storytelling was not only quite an eye-opener for me, but Daniel Meadows' enthusiasm for his chosen medium proved infectious.
Until now, when I looked at YouTube, I thought 'video clips', but it turns out I should have been thinking 'digital narratives'. The popularity of sites like YouTube, Metacafe, and more recently Qik reflects the growing use of video as a method of expression, and runs parallel with the advances in commonly used technology.
The fact that most mobile phones now come with integrated video cameras means that it's much easier for people to quickly capture video and upload it to their computers. The wider availability of broadband means more people can view the videos easier, so it's only natural that this form of media has become more popular.
Evidence of this can be found in coverage of the current US Elections. Both campaigns have made use of YouTube to get their election message to a wider audience, with Obama and McCain both seeing that they can reach a younger demographic which doesn't always engage in political debate in traditional media. Members of the public have also posted videos which have had at least as much, if not more impact than official campaign videos.
However, I'm pleased to say that our lecture on Digital Storytelling was not only quite an eye-opener for me, but Daniel Meadows' enthusiasm for his chosen medium proved infectious.
Until now, when I looked at YouTube, I thought 'video clips', but it turns out I should have been thinking 'digital narratives'. The popularity of sites like YouTube, Metacafe, and more recently Qik reflects the growing use of video as a method of expression, and runs parallel with the advances in commonly used technology.
The fact that most mobile phones now come with integrated video cameras means that it's much easier for people to quickly capture video and upload it to their computers. The wider availability of broadband means more people can view the videos easier, so it's only natural that this form of media has become more popular.
Evidence of this can be found in coverage of the current US Elections. Both campaigns have made use of YouTube to get their election message to a wider audience, with Obama and McCain both seeing that they can reach a younger demographic which doesn't always engage in political debate in traditional media. Members of the public have also posted videos which have had at least as much, if not more impact than official campaign videos.
I couldn't finish without a touch of cynicism though...and unfortunately the digital video format was effectively undermined in our Reporters and the Reported lecture on Friday, when guest speaker Nicolas Brett came to talk to us about the future of Magazine Journalism. A number of the slides in his Powerpoint Presentation depended upon video clips illustrating his points. Unfortunately, the University's network wasn't up to playing them, and, despite the best efforts of the tech assistants, turning the computer off and back on again didn't help. Eventually he resorted to describing the videos, which didn't have quite the same impact.
Alas, the future remains the future. Should be good when it all works though!
1 comment:
Network issues and connection to the net are always an issue - and this shows the first rule of Murphy's Law.
Don't get Digital Narratives confused with video clips (Youtube) or live streaming video (Qik). Digital Narratives is a very specific form that needs to be looked at in context.
However, I agree that there is a lot to be offered to the community as part of a two way street - and distributing our content to sites like YouTube will help people think about our brand, rather than just ignoring our web site.
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